Trust
by sheisamelody
Summary: What if Dom had died in season 1 instead of Grace? Who would have joined TR as its newest member, and what would he be like?


**Trust**

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**Summary: **What if Dom had died in season 1 instead of Grace? Who would have joined TR as its newest member, and what would he be like? *while this fic doesn't really have a particular pairing/character focus, there are hints of a possible past fling between Kerry/Lawson, and a bit of Grace/Josh.  
**Rated: **T – mostly for some coarse language.  
**A/N: **I haven't written a _Rush _fic for a couple of years, but this one has been in my head for a while!**  
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**Chapter One**

–

Lawson ran a hand across his forehead, frustrated, but also tired. A soft sigh escaped his mouth. "And what's wrong with Adam Peterson? He fits the TR profile to me, _and _he's done the training."

"He's a dickhead," Kerry was blunt; she blinked a few times.

Lawson scoffed. "You can't just say no to someone just because you think they're a dickhead! You don't even _know_ him Kerry."

She looked across at him but didn't say a word. She wanted to, but she held back. Lawson didn't need to know she had met Adam Peterson once before, and that he really was in fact, a dickhead.

"What are you hiding?"

"What? _Nothing_!" Kerry exclaimed, eyes wide, eyebrows raised.

"Okay, good," Lawson didn't believe her but he also didn't want to press the issue. After a moments silence, he then said, "Well, I think he'd be perfect for TR. A good replacement for Dom," there was a hint of sadness in his last sentence.

Kerry felt defeated. "Yeah, okay, whatever."

"You'll learn to like him, Kerry," Lawson stood up, briefly glancing at her before he left the room. "Just as you did with me."

–

"Who do you think they'll bring in as the new officer?" Grace asked Josh. The locker room was a place to gossip, and to chat about the day ahead, or the day just passed.

"I dunno, some bloke," he shrugged, pulling his bullet proof vest over his shirt.

Grace frowned and walked over to him. It wasn't hard to notice his attitude. "What's wrong?" she rubbed his back softly.

Josh gave her a look, sighed, "I don't think you should leave Connor."

"What?"

"Not for me. What if _this _doesn't work out, Grace?" he asked, stepping away from her a little. "Then you're left on your own. I don't want that."

She smiled, "Well we have to _make _it work then, don't we?"

As Josh was about to reply, he was interrupted by someone else walking into the locker room. Stella instantly noticed the awkward silence, "Don't let me stop you," she said to the pair, grinning, but they remained quiet. "Lawson wants to see us all in the ops room," Stella realised neither Josh nor Grace were going to speak any time soon, "Must be about the new guy!"

–

Kerry sat at the back of the room, watching through slit eyes, as Lawson introduced Sergeant Adam Peterson to the rest of the group. Lawson didn't bother asking her if she wanted to say anything, he already knew that she wouldn't want to.

"Thanks Lawson," Adam said with a smile, "I'm really looking forward to working with you all, I've heard some great things about Tactical Response and can't wait to be apart of it."

Kerry put her head to one side and rolled her eyes; his words were a load of bullshit to her. The look didn't escape Lawson but he chose to ignore it.

Once everyone had finished welcoming Adam, he looked over at Kerry who he noticed hadn't said a word to him since he arrived. "Inspector Vincent," he said to her formally, "Can I have a word?"

Reluctantly, she walked over to him, clearly not happy.

"I know you don't want me here, and I know you'd be quite happy to kick me out on my arse if you could. But I'm here and you're just going to have to deal with it."

Kerry wasn't at all intimidated or fazed by him. "I won't have to kick you out on your arse. I'm sure you'll find a way to do that yourself," she paused briefly, "Or Lawson will do it once he realises what a wanker you really are."

Adam watched as she walked away from him. A small smile formed on his face, "We'll see."

–

In his usual position in front of the computer, Leon rattled through some information for the team about a possible hostage situation in Altona. "A call has just come in from the Williamstown police, I think they may need a negotiator out there ASAP, possible jumper."

"Okay Leon, we'll be there in ten. Grace can negotiate," Lawson replied over his radio.

Kerry paced back and forth behind Leon's chair, she was biting her fingernails. He swivelled around, facing her, "What are you so anxious about?"

"Huh?"

A little louder, "What is making you so anxious?"

She shook her head, followed by a shrug. "Nothing."

Leon snorted and turned around to face the computer again. "Ha! You're biting your nails down the cuticle, Kerry! Is it about the new guy?" When Kerry didn't answer, he said, "If it makes you feel any better, I'm with you. There's something shifty about him."

Kerry stopped walking, his last words had her curious. "Why do you say that?"

Leon shrugged and patted his stomach as if he was hungry, "Gut feeling."

She sat down in the chair next to him, silent, staring at the computer screen.

"So it is about him, isn't it? Sergeant Peterson?"

Once again though, Kerry didn't respond. Leon smiled to himself. "You pretend to be tough, but you really do care about this group, don't you, mother hen?" he chuckled, not expecting an answer.

–

"I've done some negotiating before, I can do this one," Adam told Lawson as they arrived at a house in a seemingly quiet, tree-lined street in Altona. Other police cars were parked on the street, along with an ambulance as a precaution.

"I know you have, Adam," he replied, unsure whether to admire Adam's enthusiasm or hate it. "I just think Grace will be the best in this situation. You can back her up though, if you'd like."

Trying to hide his disappointment, Adam replied quickly. "Sure thing!"

Lawson crossed his arms over his chest and watched closely as Adam casually strolled towards Grace; he watched them talking, Adam with a smile on his face. Josh came over and stood beside Lawson, "He might be a good asset to the team," he observed.

"Yeah," Lawson replied thoughtfully, "If he keeps his ego to a minimum."

"And his hands to himself," Josh saw the close proximity to which Adam was standing to Grace.

–

At her home, Kerry sat down on the couch and turned on the television. It was times like this that she almost wished she was still married. There was part of her that wasn't quite used to living alone, yet. Kerry changed the channels half-heartedly; ads, infomercials, predictable soapy dramas, a shoot 'em-up movie from the 1960's. Eventually, she settled for comedy series _The Big Bang Theory_, just as there was a knock on the door.

"What's this?" she asked when she saw Lawson standing on the front porch with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.

"I think I remember hearing you say you like this stuff," he looked down at the bottle, "Figured after the day today..."

Kerry rolled her eyes, smiling. "Do you come with it?"

"If you feel like some company."

"Hmm, well, I guess you're okay as far as company goes."

–


End file.
